The book only has two characters- Marvin K. Mooney and the narrator. Mooney is illustrated on every page wearing purple pajamas and often standing on a circular rug, hands either drawn behind his back or upon his hips. The narrator is mostly unseen, appearing only as arms and hands, which gesture the best ways for Marvin to go.

This book is filled with ways for Marvin K. Mooney to get away from the narrator as fast as possible. The narrator, being ever unconcerned as for how Marvin gets away, as long as he gets away fast, suggests that he leave by stilts, broomsticks, cows, a camel in a bureau drawer and cars among many other things.

It’s long been an urban legend that Seuss wrote this book as a plea for Richard Nixon to leave the White House after Watergate. However, this book was published in August of 1972, only two months after the Watergate scandal broke, and still before there were many ties to link the White House to the break-in.